1 00:00:10,053 --> 00:00:11,137 Ooh. 2 00:00:11,971 --> 00:00:14,265 Now, that is wind, that is wind. 3 00:00:14,891 --> 00:00:16,225 Right now, the danger is more intense 4 00:00:16,225 --> 00:00:20,063 {\an8}as we go north into the very tightening valley. -Yeah. 5 00:00:21,189 --> 00:00:24,067 Right, and of course, just how far can we go. 6 00:00:25,568 --> 00:00:27,111 I've come to the Arctic 7 00:00:27,862 --> 00:00:30,156 with a team of US combat veterans. 8 00:00:31,199 --> 00:00:35,411 Decorated, dedicated and desperate for hope 9 00:00:35,995 --> 00:00:39,082 because there is one last battle they're still fighting. 10 00:00:40,792 --> 00:00:42,376 The one they brought home with them. 11 00:00:45,338 --> 00:00:48,091 My second time in Iraq, it really hit me. 12 00:00:49,967 --> 00:00:51,177 We were losing people, 13 00:00:52,178 --> 00:00:54,013 and I still live with stuff today. 14 00:00:56,140 --> 00:00:58,351 I just get so frustrated with it 15 00:00:58,351 --> 00:00:59,936 that I don't, I don't... 16 00:01:01,104 --> 00:01:03,940 you know, I don't, I just don't wanna continue. It's hard. 17 00:01:07,318 --> 00:01:08,820 I wanna be happy again. 18 00:01:10,321 --> 00:01:12,198 And I think that this is one of the ways 19 00:01:12,198 --> 00:01:13,658 that I can get myself there. 20 00:01:16,202 --> 00:01:18,287 For almost as long as human history, 21 00:01:18,287 --> 00:01:21,290 soldiers have been searching for a way to heal 22 00:01:21,290 --> 00:01:23,709 the invisible wounds of war. 23 00:01:25,795 --> 00:01:28,256 I've been looking for that for 20 years. 24 00:01:29,549 --> 00:01:32,718 Could it be that the cure is out here... 25 00:01:35,763 --> 00:01:37,515 in the last place on Earth 26 00:01:38,182 --> 00:01:40,768 you'd ever expect to find it? 27 00:01:56,993 --> 00:02:00,580 For me, this journey started back in 2006. 28 00:02:00,580 --> 00:02:03,749 We're on patrol with the Iraqi's ninth division. 29 00:02:04,208 --> 00:02:06,210 there is only one mechanized division 30 00:02:06,210 --> 00:02:08,296 in the entire Iraqi army. 31 00:02:08,296 --> 00:02:11,883 I was a network news anchor reporting from Iraq. 32 00:02:13,634 --> 00:02:15,261 We have some breaking news to report, 33 00:02:15,261 --> 00:02:17,388 our co-anchor of World News Tonight, 34 00:02:17,388 --> 00:02:19,891 Bob Woodruff, and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, 35 00:02:19,891 --> 00:02:23,686 were injured in an improvised explosive device attack. 36 00:02:24,437 --> 00:02:26,647 The left part of my skull was, was shattered. 37 00:02:27,273 --> 00:02:29,358 I should be dead for sure if there was not 38 00:02:29,358 --> 00:02:32,778 military medical teams there to save me. 39 00:02:33,654 --> 00:02:34,989 Hi, how are you? I'm Bob. 40 00:02:34,989 --> 00:02:38,743 I've got to know so many fellow wounded. 41 00:02:40,578 --> 00:02:41,746 How are you, bro? Look at you. 42 00:02:41,746 --> 00:02:44,457 After more than 20 years of war 43 00:02:44,457 --> 00:02:46,626 in Iraq and Afghanistan, 44 00:02:47,335 --> 00:02:49,337 so many American veterans 45 00:02:49,337 --> 00:02:52,506 are struggling with psychological trauma. 46 00:02:53,382 --> 00:02:55,843 These kinds of wounds are ongoing 47 00:02:55,843 --> 00:02:58,930 {\an8}and they don't go away unless something is figured out 48 00:02:58,930 --> 00:03:01,641 {\an8}to make those lives improve. 49 00:03:02,767 --> 00:03:04,727 It's just very hard to do. 50 00:03:09,815 --> 00:03:11,359 You do this every flight? 51 00:03:12,151 --> 00:03:14,070 I-I actually do, I take it off every flight. 52 00:03:14,070 --> 00:03:15,613 It's way more comfortable. 53 00:03:16,864 --> 00:03:20,826 So, it's not the visible wounds of war that bring us here, 54 00:03:20,826 --> 00:03:23,204 it's the wounds you don't see. 55 00:03:23,996 --> 00:03:25,748 For your information, 56 00:03:25,748 --> 00:03:28,125 we will be de-planing the aircraft by the doors at the back. 57 00:03:28,876 --> 00:03:30,670 {\an8}It is apparently cold out there. 58 00:03:31,337 --> 00:03:32,797 {\an8}My name's Jesus Sanchez. 59 00:03:32,797 --> 00:03:35,091 {\an8}I was a medic for the Marines. 60 00:03:36,926 --> 00:03:38,761 And I feel like a piece of me 61 00:03:38,761 --> 00:03:41,222 is still in Afghanistan every day. 62 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:44,684 - Oh, good, it's my legs. - Your legs. 63 00:03:44,684 --> 00:03:46,394 {\an8}My legs made it. 64 00:03:46,394 --> 00:03:48,312 {\an8}My name is Elana Duffy. 65 00:03:50,231 --> 00:03:53,985 I served in the Army for ten years. 66 00:03:55,111 --> 00:03:57,405 Being hit by a roadside bomb 67 00:03:57,405 --> 00:03:59,615 really messed up my brain 68 00:04:00,491 --> 00:04:04,412 and I have severe traumatic brain injury. 69 00:04:06,038 --> 00:04:07,456 {\an8}My name is Chanda Mofu, 70 00:04:07,456 --> 00:04:09,667 {\an8}twenty years of service in our United States Army. 71 00:04:10,209 --> 00:04:14,588 I do carry trauma from my combat experiences absolutely, 72 00:04:15,464 --> 00:04:16,841 but most of the combat veterans 73 00:04:16,841 --> 00:04:18,175 don't talk about their experiences 74 00:04:18,175 --> 00:04:20,052 and I've fallen into this trap as well. 75 00:04:21,095 --> 00:04:24,307 {\an8} We're gonna start out doing eight miles and set up our base camp. 76 00:04:24,307 --> 00:04:25,891 {\an8}You know, so, we have to be, like, 77 00:04:25,891 --> 00:04:27,601 {\an8}prepared for weather and things like that 78 00:04:28,477 --> 00:04:30,980 {\an8}as the conditions just change really quickly, right? 79 00:04:31,772 --> 00:04:33,274 {\an8}So we're gonna go by snowmobile? 80 00:04:33,274 --> 00:04:34,608 No, we're gonna start skiing from here. 81 00:04:34,608 --> 00:04:35,693 We're gonna go straight from here? 82 00:04:35,693 --> 00:04:37,445 Straight from here, yep. 83 00:04:38,029 --> 00:04:39,030 - Yeah. - Oof. 84 00:04:42,283 --> 00:04:43,284 Looking good. 85 00:04:45,369 --> 00:04:46,746 Alright, let's roll. 86 00:04:48,414 --> 00:04:51,500 We're headed into the heart of Baffin Island, 87 00:04:52,543 --> 00:04:54,420 {\an8}at the edge of the Arctic Circle. 88 00:04:56,422 --> 00:05:00,092 {\an8}It's one of the most pristine and wild places on the planet. 89 00:05:03,596 --> 00:05:08,309 It is a prehistoric landscape where granite mountains 90 00:05:08,309 --> 00:05:11,395 are some 3.5 billion years old. 91 00:05:12,355 --> 00:05:15,191 At this time of year it's one of the best places 92 00:05:15,191 --> 00:05:18,778 to see skiesthat are illuminated by the northern lights. 93 00:05:23,699 --> 00:05:25,368 How do you even run with these? 94 00:05:25,368 --> 00:05:26,577 When the left one goes forward, 95 00:05:26,577 --> 00:05:28,204 your right hand goes forward. 96 00:05:28,204 --> 00:05:29,372 Okay. 97 00:05:29,372 --> 00:05:31,248 I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. 98 00:05:31,791 --> 00:05:33,793 Seeing snow a handful of times. 99 00:05:33,793 --> 00:05:36,128 {\an8}I have never gone cross-country skiing. 100 00:05:36,962 --> 00:05:37,963 {\an8}I am terrified. 101 00:05:41,842 --> 00:05:43,427 We got the idea to do this 102 00:05:43,427 --> 00:05:46,389 because a growing number of scientific studies 103 00:05:46,931 --> 00:05:50,142 make the case that immersion in nature 104 00:05:50,559 --> 00:05:52,686 may be a great treatment for PTSD. 105 00:05:54,188 --> 00:05:55,439 Getting out in nature 106 00:05:55,439 --> 00:05:57,274 {\an8}and the radical outdoors 107 00:05:57,274 --> 00:05:59,693 {\an8}is really good for trauma and stress. 108 00:06:00,403 --> 00:06:02,321 Dacher Keltner, 109 00:06:02,321 --> 00:06:05,658 who runs something called the "Happiness Lab" at Berkeley, 110 00:06:06,158 --> 00:06:08,494 is one of the pioneers in this field. 111 00:06:09,036 --> 00:06:10,496 Nature immersion, 112 00:06:10,496 --> 00:06:12,456 we know that it has direct effects 113 00:06:12,456 --> 00:06:15,584 on your cardiovascular system, your brain, 114 00:06:15,584 --> 00:06:16,752 how you think about yourself, 115 00:06:16,752 --> 00:06:18,504 how you think about your life, the purpose in life. 116 00:06:19,797 --> 00:06:23,634 One study of Keltner's that really got our attention 117 00:06:23,634 --> 00:06:27,054 involved whitewater rafting with veterans. 118 00:06:28,556 --> 00:06:30,891 Keltner collaborated on the study 119 00:06:30,891 --> 00:06:34,061 with his grad student at the time, Craig Anderson. 120 00:06:35,312 --> 00:06:36,689 Craig, thanks for doing this. 121 00:06:36,689 --> 00:06:37,773 It's my pleasure. 122 00:06:38,482 --> 00:06:40,067 So what was some of the results 123 00:06:40,067 --> 00:06:43,654 of, uh, the veterans studies that you've done? 124 00:06:44,196 --> 00:06:47,491 {\an8}I found that compared to before the rafting trips, 125 00:06:47,992 --> 00:06:50,035 at least two weeks after the trips, 126 00:06:50,035 --> 00:06:55,541 veterans were reporting 21% less PTSD symptoms. 127 00:06:56,041 --> 00:06:58,669 Nature takes us out of the everyday context 128 00:06:58,669 --> 00:07:00,129 that we're used to. 129 00:07:00,129 --> 00:07:02,339 It turns out the daily hassles 130 00:07:02,339 --> 00:07:05,134 and the daily grind that we experience, 131 00:07:05,134 --> 00:07:07,261 those things also seem smaller. 132 00:07:07,636 --> 00:07:10,764 We are hoping this trip will have an impact on us 133 00:07:11,348 --> 00:07:14,310 as profound as the whitewater rafting study. 134 00:07:14,310 --> 00:07:17,354 Camp one, you guys. Woo-hoo! 135 00:07:17,354 --> 00:07:19,815 - Yeah, man. - Oh, yeah, here we are. 136 00:07:20,357 --> 00:07:21,650 That is called progress. 137 00:07:21,650 --> 00:07:23,819 So far so good but it's only one day. 138 00:07:25,029 --> 00:07:28,407 Our plan is to camp on a frozen river, 139 00:07:28,407 --> 00:07:30,159 the Pangnirtung Fjord 140 00:07:30,910 --> 00:07:33,329 {\an8}and explore the area on skis. 141 00:07:33,913 --> 00:07:36,665 And then, hike into the mountains to a hidden valley 142 00:07:37,625 --> 00:07:41,712 to stand in the shadow of Thor Peak, 143 00:07:42,755 --> 00:07:46,091 it's the highest vertical cliff in the world. 144 00:07:47,384 --> 00:07:49,929 We'll be collecting data on ourselves 145 00:07:49,929 --> 00:07:52,223 while we're out here for Craig Anderson 146 00:07:52,223 --> 00:07:54,683 so he can analyze it after we're back. 147 00:07:54,683 --> 00:07:55,976 Alright. 148 00:07:56,268 --> 00:07:58,562 After a fine day of skiing. 149 00:08:00,981 --> 00:08:04,485 I'm going to be asking you to be doing a daily diary. 150 00:08:04,485 --> 00:08:06,362 Hello, hello. 151 00:08:07,863 --> 00:08:10,282 This is star date or video diary. 152 00:08:10,282 --> 00:08:12,159 Every night after dinner... 153 00:08:12,159 --> 00:08:13,702 Alrighty. 154 00:08:13,702 --> 00:08:15,412 ...there would be five questions 155 00:08:15,412 --> 00:08:16,497 that we would have to answer. 156 00:08:18,415 --> 00:08:19,625 My goodness. Um... 157 00:08:19,625 --> 00:08:22,336 {\an8}So I'm gonna take that video data... 158 00:08:22,336 --> 00:08:23,546 One, two, three, okay, it's on. 159 00:08:23,546 --> 00:08:24,922 ...and I actually have software 160 00:08:24,922 --> 00:08:27,508 that will analyze the facial expressions 161 00:08:27,508 --> 00:08:28,968 that people are making. 162 00:08:31,303 --> 00:08:33,472 We'll also be gathering saliva samples 163 00:08:33,472 --> 00:08:35,516 to monitor our stress levels, 164 00:08:35,516 --> 00:08:37,601 measuring a hormone called cortisol. 165 00:08:39,562 --> 00:08:40,813 Can't feel my fingers. 166 00:08:42,481 --> 00:08:43,857 When we wake up in the morning 167 00:08:43,857 --> 00:08:46,318 {\an8}a healthy cortisol profile 168 00:08:46,318 --> 00:08:48,862 {\an8}is getting a big spike in cortisol. 169 00:08:48,862 --> 00:08:50,281 {\an8}It's like your body is like 170 00:08:50,281 --> 00:08:53,200 {\an8}manufacturing its own cup of coffee for you. 171 00:08:53,659 --> 00:08:56,704 {\an8}That nice high spike kind of sharply declines 172 00:08:56,704 --> 00:08:58,038 {\an8}throughout the day, 173 00:08:58,038 --> 00:09:00,874 {\an8}so that cortisol is low at the end of the day, 174 00:09:01,292 --> 00:09:03,961 {\an8}and you're nice and relaxed and ready to go to bed. 175 00:09:03,961 --> 00:09:05,754 {\an8} Oh, yeah, hang on to your vials 176 00:09:06,547 --> 00:09:08,465 'cause we're gonna submit them for... 177 00:09:08,465 --> 00:09:09,883 Science. 178 00:09:11,468 --> 00:09:15,222 Craig will also be tracking our sleep quality 179 00:09:15,222 --> 00:09:16,849 and our heart rate variability, 180 00:09:17,308 --> 00:09:19,935 ways of monitoring whether PTSD 181 00:09:19,935 --> 00:09:22,271 is really releasing its grip on us. 182 00:09:22,771 --> 00:09:24,273 My therapist called it "monkey brain." 183 00:09:24,857 --> 00:09:28,193 Uh, he said that you put yourself in that survivalist mindset, 184 00:09:28,193 --> 00:09:30,195 and it's a, it's like an evolutionary flaw. 185 00:09:30,195 --> 00:09:32,448 - Yeah. - Where it's like "I need to survive." 186 00:09:32,448 --> 00:09:34,491 And it doesn't turn off sometimes because you're just, 187 00:09:34,491 --> 00:09:35,743 you relate to certain things, 188 00:09:35,743 --> 00:09:36,827 and it traumatizes you essentially. 189 00:09:36,827 --> 00:09:37,953 - Yeah. Yeah. - Mm-hmm. 190 00:09:39,204 --> 00:09:41,415 Alright, today we were able to talk a little bit 191 00:09:41,415 --> 00:09:44,501 about some, some of the things that bother us. 192 00:09:45,002 --> 00:09:46,837 Um, I just don't sleep. 193 00:09:47,296 --> 00:09:51,091 Like our inability to sleep and, you know, those stressors 194 00:09:51,091 --> 00:09:55,012 that really get in the way of our just normal function. 195 00:09:55,471 --> 00:09:56,889 A little bit is like, you know, 196 00:09:57,389 --> 00:09:59,433 seeing all those casualties too that kinda just 197 00:09:59,433 --> 00:10:02,269 replay a little bit in my head when I close my eyes. 198 00:10:04,313 --> 00:10:06,690 Hopefully as I continue to immerse myself 199 00:10:07,149 --> 00:10:08,651 in this experience 200 00:10:09,234 --> 00:10:11,862 that I can unpack a lot of the, uh... 201 00:10:17,868 --> 00:10:19,078 the incredible... 202 00:10:20,412 --> 00:10:22,706 and incredibly sad experiences that I went through, 203 00:10:22,706 --> 00:10:24,875 um, during my combat tours. 204 00:10:26,168 --> 00:10:28,128 I want this data to actually do something 205 00:10:29,213 --> 00:10:32,299 and make people understand things and contribute. 206 00:10:34,468 --> 00:10:35,678 Because... 207 00:10:36,887 --> 00:10:38,430 it's like one of those, "It's too late for me. 208 00:10:38,430 --> 00:10:39,515 Save yourself." 209 00:10:40,182 --> 00:10:43,268 Um, "Help me, Obi-Wan. You're my only hope." 210 00:10:57,449 --> 00:10:59,034 I'm gonna tape some stuff, 211 00:10:59,034 --> 00:11:00,911 {\an8}it helps to insulate a little bit 212 00:11:01,954 --> 00:11:04,957 {\an8}or it gets really uncomfortable really fast. 213 00:11:05,833 --> 00:11:09,086 One of the things I learned after I was injured 214 00:11:09,086 --> 00:11:12,297 is that modern medicine has made it possible 215 00:11:12,297 --> 00:11:16,844 to save the lives of more soldiers than ever in history. 216 00:11:18,804 --> 00:11:20,013 {\an8}Yeah, I didn't know what layering was 217 00:11:20,013 --> 00:11:23,517 {\an8}until I came out here so... 218 00:11:26,478 --> 00:11:28,188 {\an8}Ooh, it's cold. 219 00:11:28,188 --> 00:11:31,150 {\an8} But even modern medicine hasn't been able to address 220 00:11:31,150 --> 00:11:34,653 something that playwrights and poets have been describing 221 00:11:34,653 --> 00:11:36,488 since ancient Greece and Babylon... 222 00:11:38,741 --> 00:11:41,452 the psychological wounds of war. 223 00:11:41,452 --> 00:11:42,536 Alright. 224 00:11:42,995 --> 00:11:45,289 {\an8}So day two, ready? Let's go. 225 00:11:46,498 --> 00:11:48,500 {\an8}One more beautiful spot on Earth. 226 00:11:50,252 --> 00:11:52,421 As we head out there is skepticism 227 00:11:53,630 --> 00:11:55,466 but there's also hope that Baffin Island 228 00:11:55,466 --> 00:11:57,342 will work its magic on us 229 00:11:57,885 --> 00:11:59,136 as it has for those who have 230 00:11:59,136 --> 00:12:00,971 braved the ice and cold before us. 231 00:12:04,016 --> 00:12:05,809 It's that don't quit mindset, you know. 232 00:12:07,019 --> 00:12:09,563 {\an8}Plus, it's the, it's easily the most beautiful place 233 00:12:09,563 --> 00:12:11,774 {\an8}I've ever been to, by far. 234 00:12:19,406 --> 00:12:20,616 I'll just say this, 235 00:12:20,616 --> 00:12:22,659 this is a lot of time for reflection, 236 00:12:24,077 --> 00:12:26,413 kinda where you wanna go forward in your life. 237 00:12:26,830 --> 00:12:30,876 {\an8}So... lots of, lots of things going through my mind right now. 238 00:12:36,799 --> 00:12:38,008 Bravo one, bravo, over. 239 00:12:39,259 --> 00:12:40,511 Today the death toll 240 00:12:40,511 --> 00:12:43,430 of American troops in Iraq reached 3,000. 241 00:12:46,934 --> 00:12:48,060 The year 2006 242 00:12:48,060 --> 00:12:49,520 was the most difficult year of my life 243 00:12:50,479 --> 00:12:51,563 because of the combat losses 244 00:12:51,563 --> 00:12:54,525 and the people that I led that died. 245 00:12:54,942 --> 00:12:57,569 December, now the deadliest month this year 246 00:12:57,569 --> 00:13:01,490 costing the lives of at least 111 American troops. 247 00:13:02,950 --> 00:13:04,910 When it happens to your own people 248 00:13:04,910 --> 00:13:08,789 and you're picking up teeth out of a Humvee or bone parts, 249 00:13:08,789 --> 00:13:10,374 you don't wish that on anybody. 250 00:13:11,959 --> 00:13:14,586 And so, I retired, 251 00:13:14,586 --> 00:13:17,172 and I wanted to put those traumatic events behind me. 252 00:13:20,509 --> 00:13:22,052 We should take a minute here, you guys. 253 00:13:22,052 --> 00:13:23,971 - Stop? - Yeah, right here. 254 00:13:23,971 --> 00:13:25,472 Let's take a minute. 255 00:13:25,472 --> 00:13:27,975 Nah, that was... that was rough. 256 00:13:27,975 --> 00:13:29,309 Oh, my gosh, yeah. 257 00:13:32,062 --> 00:13:34,231 {\an8} The dream is to be able to see something higher up 258 00:13:34,231 --> 00:13:35,774 {\an8}because the clouds have blocked off 259 00:13:35,774 --> 00:13:37,192 {\an8}the peaks of the mountains. 260 00:13:42,281 --> 00:13:45,909 In recent years, melting sea ice 261 00:13:45,909 --> 00:13:48,537 has wrapped the island in a fog 262 00:13:49,580 --> 00:13:53,250 that is both eerily beautiful and frustrating. 263 00:13:54,459 --> 00:13:57,880 The clouds can hide the tops of the legendary mountains here. 264 00:14:06,471 --> 00:14:07,598 There we go! 265 00:14:08,515 --> 00:14:09,808 Hey. 266 00:14:10,642 --> 00:14:12,436 See this cloud with that little opening right here? 267 00:14:12,436 --> 00:14:13,687 - Yeah. - Yeah. 268 00:14:14,187 --> 00:14:15,272 Oh, my gosh. 269 00:14:15,731 --> 00:14:17,858 You can see the mountains through the clouds over there. 270 00:14:17,858 --> 00:14:19,735 Oh, yeah, it's starting to open up. 271 00:14:19,735 --> 00:14:21,653 So when the sun broke through the mist, 272 00:14:21,653 --> 00:14:23,280 it was transformative. 273 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:24,698 Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. 274 00:14:24,698 --> 00:14:25,991 That is awesome. 275 00:14:25,991 --> 00:14:27,326 Yeah. 276 00:14:27,326 --> 00:14:28,785 That's so cool. 277 00:14:28,785 --> 00:14:29,953 It's gorgeous, man. 278 00:14:30,704 --> 00:14:32,497 The appreciation for that kinda stuff, 279 00:14:33,248 --> 00:14:34,541 this is coming back now. 280 00:14:36,668 --> 00:14:37,711 Grateful. 281 00:14:40,213 --> 00:14:43,634 This is what we came here for. 282 00:14:43,634 --> 00:14:45,093 It's insane. 283 00:14:45,093 --> 00:14:47,346 The scientists call it "awe." 284 00:14:52,351 --> 00:14:55,479 We define "awe" as an emotion you feel, 285 00:14:55,479 --> 00:14:58,941 when you encounter things that are vast... 286 00:14:59,942 --> 00:15:01,693 {\an8}uh, most typically, they're kinda 287 00:15:01,693 --> 00:15:03,236 {\an8}bigger than what you expect, 288 00:15:03,236 --> 00:15:04,404 {\an8}and are mysterious. 289 00:15:09,242 --> 00:15:11,995 Religious experiences can elicit awe. 290 00:15:13,622 --> 00:15:16,249 Music and dance... 291 00:15:17,376 --> 00:15:19,878 and arts can elicit awe. 292 00:15:25,425 --> 00:15:29,137 Nature is one of the most common and powerful ways 293 00:15:29,137 --> 00:15:31,264 that people feel awe. 294 00:15:32,808 --> 00:15:34,601 Awe calms your body down 295 00:15:35,352 --> 00:15:37,479 and then, awe transforms your mind. 296 00:15:39,147 --> 00:15:41,608 It deactivates chunks of your cortex here, 297 00:15:41,608 --> 00:15:43,610 and then on the side of your brain. 298 00:15:44,486 --> 00:15:46,655 So, reduced blood flow in those regions 299 00:15:46,655 --> 00:15:50,033 involved in too much self-focus 300 00:15:50,659 --> 00:15:54,538 which is a pathway to anxiety, depression, rumination, 301 00:15:55,372 --> 00:15:56,581 even trauma. 302 00:15:56,581 --> 00:15:58,709 Awe orients you away 303 00:15:58,709 --> 00:16:00,127 from the self to other things, 304 00:16:00,127 --> 00:16:01,420 big things around you. 305 00:16:02,796 --> 00:16:04,339 Look at, blue sky. 306 00:16:04,798 --> 00:16:06,967 There's blue sky. What? 307 00:16:06,967 --> 00:16:08,343 Everything's changing. 308 00:16:10,387 --> 00:16:12,681 What a day, man. This has been incredible. 309 00:16:13,223 --> 00:16:16,685 With awe, you have these oceanic feelings 310 00:16:16,685 --> 00:16:21,398 of being connected to humanity or all of Earth. 311 00:16:22,107 --> 00:16:23,775 {\an8}Um, so it's kind of that, 312 00:16:23,775 --> 00:16:26,278 {\an8}that piece of being small but connected. 313 00:16:28,488 --> 00:16:31,575 It's humbling to appreciate 314 00:16:31,575 --> 00:16:35,579 the snow-capped mountains 315 00:16:37,539 --> 00:16:41,293 in a corridor that's been around for millions of years. 316 00:16:43,670 --> 00:16:46,506 When we feel awe like this, 317 00:16:47,507 --> 00:16:50,969 the scientists can see it in our faces 318 00:16:52,721 --> 00:16:56,975 The snow-capped mountains. 319 00:16:56,975 --> 00:16:59,144 The eyes widen, 320 00:16:59,144 --> 00:17:03,106 the eyebrows rise, the mouth opens. 321 00:17:05,567 --> 00:17:07,694 I think somewhere in my deep recesses 322 00:17:08,445 --> 00:17:10,405 I've compartmentalized my feelings 323 00:17:10,405 --> 00:17:12,616 about those I went to combat with 324 00:17:12,908 --> 00:17:15,285 and how I-I haven't been in touch with them. 325 00:17:15,827 --> 00:17:18,121 And, uh, for some reason today I just realized 326 00:17:18,121 --> 00:17:21,500 that I probably need to bring those folks back to my life, 327 00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:24,503 uh, because they helped me 328 00:17:24,503 --> 00:17:27,756 just like I hope I had helped them. 329 00:17:35,597 --> 00:17:37,682 Chanda and I are sharing a tent 330 00:17:37,682 --> 00:17:40,894 and as we got ready to take off again the next morning, 331 00:17:40,894 --> 00:17:44,147 he told me he felt that something had changed. 332 00:17:44,147 --> 00:17:46,733 The Chanda that I used to be, right, kinda woke up. 333 00:17:47,859 --> 00:17:48,944 Think about the millions of years 334 00:17:48,944 --> 00:17:50,779 that this landscape has been around 335 00:17:50,779 --> 00:17:52,030 and we're now a part of it 336 00:17:52,030 --> 00:17:53,573 and it's helping us, that's humbling. 337 00:17:53,573 --> 00:17:55,951 No matter what happened to us over in the Middle East... 338 00:17:55,951 --> 00:17:57,035 Mm-hmm. 339 00:17:57,035 --> 00:17:58,161 ...look what we have here, 340 00:17:58,161 --> 00:17:59,913 ...like how blessed are we, man? 341 00:18:00,455 --> 00:18:01,456 Incredible. 342 00:18:02,207 --> 00:18:04,084 The remarkable thing is, 343 00:18:04,417 --> 00:18:07,045 his body was saying the same thing. 344 00:18:09,172 --> 00:18:13,844 That night, his sleep performance hit 100%. 345 00:18:16,096 --> 00:18:18,223 Good morning. Let's go, let's go to work. 346 00:18:18,223 --> 00:18:20,892 I don't think I've ever reached 100% 347 00:18:20,892 --> 00:18:24,855 of my sleep requirements in my life. 348 00:18:26,064 --> 00:18:27,691 Something right happened. 349 00:18:28,859 --> 00:18:33,905 That is good news for these 21st century struggles 350 00:18:33,905 --> 00:18:37,200 of ruminating about myself leading to depression, 351 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:38,994 awe gets you out of that. 352 00:18:38,994 --> 00:18:41,538 It makes you look to the outside world to find meaning. 353 00:18:41,538 --> 00:18:43,665 - Ready? - Let's do it. 354 00:18:44,791 --> 00:18:46,334 I'm hoping that in the coming days 355 00:18:46,334 --> 00:18:47,711 Elana and Jesus 356 00:18:47,711 --> 00:18:50,672 can experience something like what Chanda had. 357 00:18:51,381 --> 00:18:52,382 Okay, onward. 358 00:18:53,884 --> 00:18:55,385 Let's ride. 359 00:18:55,385 --> 00:18:58,346 That nature would carry them across a threshold. 360 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,855 But wounds this deep don't vanish easily. 361 00:19:17,157 --> 00:19:18,533 What about you? 362 00:19:18,533 --> 00:19:20,243 - Tell me about this bear. - This bear of mine? 363 00:19:20,243 --> 00:19:21,328 - ...yeah. - Paddington? 364 00:19:22,537 --> 00:19:26,750 {\an8}Um, Paddington is a, 365 00:19:26,750 --> 00:19:28,376 {\an8}it was a gift from my father 366 00:19:28,376 --> 00:19:30,086 before I was actually born. 367 00:19:30,587 --> 00:19:35,258 And he was in my pocket when I was hit by an IED, 368 00:19:35,258 --> 00:19:38,511 uh, was with me for my brain surgery, 369 00:19:38,511 --> 00:19:39,846 for my leg amputation. 370 00:19:40,263 --> 00:19:41,640 Elana has gone through a lot 371 00:19:42,057 --> 00:19:45,060 and she told me multiple times 372 00:19:45,060 --> 00:19:47,562 the last thing that she wants out of this trip is pity. 373 00:19:49,105 --> 00:19:50,106 Alright. 374 00:19:51,733 --> 00:19:52,943 Let's do this. 375 00:19:54,527 --> 00:19:55,695 Whoo! 376 00:19:56,738 --> 00:19:57,948 I'm gonna make it, 377 00:19:58,990 --> 00:20:00,825 which is kind of surprising to me. 378 00:20:01,660 --> 00:20:03,036 Yeah. 379 00:20:03,036 --> 00:20:05,205 Though we are all reporting stress, 380 00:20:05,205 --> 00:20:07,540 cortisol samples we collected before the trip 381 00:20:07,999 --> 00:20:10,210 showed Elana was struggling. 382 00:20:10,627 --> 00:20:13,964 With Elana, her cortisol pattern didn't look great. 383 00:20:15,548 --> 00:20:17,968 {\an8}Remember, we wanna see a nice big spike 384 00:20:18,385 --> 00:20:21,554 {\an8}but the spike wasn't so big for Elana. 385 00:20:22,764 --> 00:20:25,475 {\an8}And we see that in people 386 00:20:25,475 --> 00:20:27,310 {\an8}with post-traumatic stress 387 00:20:27,310 --> 00:20:29,729 {\an8}or maybe suffering from depression. 388 00:20:31,231 --> 00:20:32,649 I wanna be happy again. 389 00:20:34,651 --> 00:20:37,946 You know, it is a problem for me 390 00:20:37,946 --> 00:20:42,867 to keep regrets out of my life and out of my head. 391 00:20:49,082 --> 00:20:51,251 US officials tracking roadside bomb attacks 392 00:20:51,251 --> 00:20:52,711 against Americans in Iraq 393 00:20:52,711 --> 00:20:55,338 say they had become much more deadly. 394 00:20:58,049 --> 00:21:02,887 I was an investigator and an interrogator 395 00:21:04,472 --> 00:21:07,017 trying to find the bombs before the bombs went off. 396 00:21:14,232 --> 00:21:18,028 It's not just the dead people on the streets. 397 00:21:19,404 --> 00:21:23,033 It's not just rolling out in a truck every day 398 00:21:23,033 --> 00:21:24,576 wondering if you're gonna come home. 399 00:21:26,411 --> 00:21:32,542 It's, what did I have to say to a five-year-old 400 00:21:32,542 --> 00:21:36,963 to get him to tell me where his dad was, 401 00:21:37,589 --> 00:21:40,133 and how do you live with that? 402 00:21:40,925 --> 00:21:42,635 Hey, turn around! 403 00:21:42,635 --> 00:21:46,348 The panic attacks and the anger. 404 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,144 It's such a departure from who I know I used to be. 405 00:21:52,020 --> 00:21:53,313 And... 406 00:21:53,813 --> 00:21:56,900 now when I think about it I'm just tired. 407 00:21:58,693 --> 00:22:00,028 Tired a lot. 408 00:22:01,321 --> 00:22:03,365 Hold on. [bleep]. 409 00:22:03,365 --> 00:22:04,908 I don't know how I'm gonna do this. 410 00:22:07,869 --> 00:22:09,746 We were making progress 411 00:22:10,163 --> 00:22:15,126 {\an8}and then Elana couldn't, um, cross-country ski anymore. 412 00:22:15,126 --> 00:22:17,295 I'm in a lot of [bleep] pain. 413 00:22:18,630 --> 00:22:19,923 I feel really bad. 414 00:22:19,923 --> 00:22:23,343 {\an8}Elana, she had some developing pain 415 00:22:23,343 --> 00:22:26,554 {\an8}where her prosthetic was connected 416 00:22:26,554 --> 00:22:28,473 to her, to her bones. 417 00:22:29,432 --> 00:22:31,684 I'm sorry about this. 418 00:22:31,684 --> 00:22:33,728 No, it's all good, we gotcha. 419 00:22:34,479 --> 00:22:35,730 Hold on. 420 00:22:37,690 --> 00:22:39,401 Oh, my God, that feels better. 421 00:22:39,401 --> 00:22:40,902 - Does it feel better? 422 00:22:40,902 --> 00:22:42,654 Let's not let it get cold. 423 00:22:44,739 --> 00:22:47,033 Hey, Bob, can you pull her skis as well? 424 00:22:47,033 --> 00:22:48,451 Yeah, yeah. 425 00:22:48,952 --> 00:22:51,204 Are you gonna take the weight of her? -[Mofu] Yep, yep. 426 00:22:51,204 --> 00:22:52,288 Chanda's gonna pull her. 427 00:22:52,288 --> 00:22:53,498 Absolutely, man. 428 00:22:53,498 --> 00:22:54,582 I wanted to help 429 00:22:54,582 --> 00:22:57,168 and, um, it was a good feeling. 430 00:22:57,168 --> 00:22:58,795 We're gonna fit this in like a tray underneath. 431 00:22:59,838 --> 00:23:02,340 I felt relevant for the first time in a long time 432 00:23:02,340 --> 00:23:03,425 helping somebody out. 433 00:23:05,301 --> 00:23:07,846 I felt like we were working together as, like, a good team 434 00:23:08,388 --> 00:23:11,307 {\an8}and I feel like everyone was just a lot closer 435 00:23:11,307 --> 00:23:12,392 {\an8}because of that experience. 436 00:23:12,392 --> 00:23:14,018 {\an8}And it just made everyone feel good. 437 00:23:14,018 --> 00:23:15,562 Give her that one too. 438 00:23:15,562 --> 00:23:18,314 You guys are awesome, and thank you, 439 00:23:18,314 --> 00:23:20,108 and I will fix this for tomorrow. 440 00:23:21,276 --> 00:23:24,195 One of the strong elicitors of awe 441 00:23:24,195 --> 00:23:26,156 {\an8}is teams working together 442 00:23:26,156 --> 00:23:29,325 {\an8}and-and in particular selflessly for other people. 443 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:32,829 So we-we still have quite a distance to go. 444 00:23:32,829 --> 00:23:34,956 - About five miles to go. - Yeah, yeah. 445 00:23:36,291 --> 00:23:37,959 Alright, let's go. 446 00:23:39,836 --> 00:23:41,504 And we lose sight of that, 447 00:23:41,504 --> 00:23:44,549 that, you know, our better angels come out 448 00:23:44,549 --> 00:23:46,426 in these really hard situation. 449 00:23:48,511 --> 00:23:51,014 And people rise to the occasion and bring awe to us. 450 00:23:55,852 --> 00:23:57,061 Let's get you in. 451 00:23:57,729 --> 00:24:00,440 - Ah! - Woo-hoo-hoo! 452 00:24:03,401 --> 00:24:04,861 These are sterile. 453 00:24:05,570 --> 00:24:07,530 - We'll just dry it up a bit. - Yeah, yeah. 454 00:24:09,657 --> 00:24:11,493 - Is it painful? - A little, yeah. 455 00:24:11,493 --> 00:24:12,869 Yeah. Okay. 456 00:24:15,079 --> 00:24:16,831 Okay, I got you. Your backpack's right outside. 457 00:24:17,707 --> 00:24:19,167 Thank you. 458 00:24:19,167 --> 00:24:21,544 I have troubled them enough today. 459 00:24:22,795 --> 00:24:24,380 Oh Christ. 460 00:24:24,380 --> 00:24:26,799 It was the team that got me through, 461 00:24:26,799 --> 00:24:29,677 and I greatly admire them. 462 00:24:30,303 --> 00:24:33,264 So I'm very grateful for that 463 00:24:33,264 --> 00:24:35,683 and for the, um... 464 00:24:36,851 --> 00:24:39,812 the things that, um... 465 00:24:41,022 --> 00:24:42,774 the things that everyone has done, 466 00:24:43,233 --> 00:24:45,068 um, and I'm gonna be better. 467 00:24:45,652 --> 00:24:47,570 - Okay. - It looks normal? 468 00:24:48,196 --> 00:24:49,239 Hmm. 469 00:24:49,239 --> 00:24:50,573 I know that I'll just, 470 00:24:50,573 --> 00:24:52,492 obviously I gotta pack it differently tomorrow, 471 00:24:52,492 --> 00:24:54,744 because I intend to keep doing this. 472 00:24:55,662 --> 00:24:56,871 So you're a pioneer? 473 00:24:56,871 --> 00:24:58,248 Right, yes. 474 00:24:59,582 --> 00:25:00,708 We see in Elana, 475 00:25:00,708 --> 00:25:03,711 even though her own life is frustrating 476 00:25:03,711 --> 00:25:07,549 and she has this amputation that's reminding of her past 477 00:25:07,549 --> 00:25:10,260 and the difficulties of doing the trip, 478 00:25:10,802 --> 00:25:12,804 it's the people around her who bring her awe. 479 00:25:12,804 --> 00:25:14,138 - Cheers, everyone. - Cheers. 480 00:25:14,138 --> 00:25:15,765 - Yes, yes, yes. - L'chaim. 481 00:25:15,765 --> 00:25:17,559 There you go, buddy. There you are. 482 00:25:17,559 --> 00:25:19,018 - To life. - What about tomorrow? 483 00:25:19,018 --> 00:25:20,270 What do you think? 484 00:25:21,020 --> 00:25:22,105 I haven't tried standing up yet 485 00:25:22,105 --> 00:25:23,356 'cause my foot's in my pocket. 486 00:25:25,733 --> 00:25:27,527 But, I'll be good. 487 00:25:27,527 --> 00:25:28,820 I'll figure it out. 488 00:25:29,279 --> 00:25:32,240 Elana, like a lot of people who suffer PTSD, 489 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,285 had trouble feeling valued by her community. 490 00:25:36,035 --> 00:25:38,204 I think that changed today. 491 00:25:38,204 --> 00:25:39,664 Yeah. 492 00:25:39,664 --> 00:25:42,083 But Jesus may be the toughest case. 493 00:25:42,500 --> 00:25:44,419 His trauma is fresh. 494 00:25:45,837 --> 00:25:49,215 He's only been home from Afghanistan for a few months. 495 00:25:49,591 --> 00:25:51,718 I do find it a bit scary. 496 00:25:53,344 --> 00:25:56,764 What if I go on this trip and nothing changes? 497 00:25:57,849 --> 00:25:59,809 Which is a very possible outcome. 498 00:26:08,526 --> 00:26:11,279 I am... a little tired. 499 00:26:11,279 --> 00:26:12,447 Yeah. 500 00:26:13,698 --> 00:26:15,241 {\an8} I have difficulty sleeping... 501 00:26:17,535 --> 00:26:20,204 {\an8}and when I do, I wake up 502 00:26:20,204 --> 00:26:22,290 and I'm just like, well, today's gonna be a [bleep] day, 503 00:26:23,583 --> 00:26:25,710 and I don't want to do anything. 504 00:26:27,378 --> 00:26:30,465 Jesus is the youngest of us by far, 505 00:26:31,591 --> 00:26:33,801 {\an8}as in the age of my children. 506 00:26:34,969 --> 00:26:38,306 But a guy who, you know, grew up instantly witnessing 507 00:26:38,306 --> 00:26:41,100 what he did at the airport in Kabul 508 00:26:41,768 --> 00:26:43,478 when the US finally withdrew. 509 00:26:53,655 --> 00:26:55,031 I know you talked about this before 510 00:26:55,031 --> 00:26:56,991 but you remember that moment? 511 00:26:57,408 --> 00:26:58,701 Yeah, that just... 512 00:26:58,701 --> 00:27:02,288 My job as a corpsman was to help people, right? 513 00:27:03,164 --> 00:27:05,458 And, um, there is nothing you can do. 514 00:27:06,709 --> 00:27:10,046 I wish I just... could've done everything 515 00:27:10,046 --> 00:27:11,381 to bring everyone back. 516 00:27:11,839 --> 00:27:14,050 You said you have nightmares, is it about this? 517 00:27:14,926 --> 00:27:16,469 Yeah. Yeah. 518 00:27:20,098 --> 00:27:21,641 A suicide bomber struck an airport gate 519 00:27:21,641 --> 00:27:23,726 just yards from US forces 520 00:27:23,726 --> 00:27:26,354 who were processing Afghans for evacuation flights. 521 00:27:27,730 --> 00:27:29,107 Throughout the last year and a half, 522 00:27:29,107 --> 00:27:30,650 I had difficulty sleeping... 523 00:27:31,609 --> 00:27:32,985 damn near every night. 524 00:27:33,820 --> 00:27:36,823 I actually had this terrible dream. 525 00:27:38,408 --> 00:27:40,118 I-I hear the explosion 526 00:27:40,118 --> 00:27:42,787 and I feel the waves of the explosion hit me 527 00:27:43,955 --> 00:27:45,289 and... 528 00:27:47,041 --> 00:27:51,587 I feel hands on my chest, bringing me down into the earth 529 00:27:51,587 --> 00:27:53,589 like deeper and deeper and deeper. 530 00:27:55,633 --> 00:27:59,053 I just get so frustrated with it that I don't, I don't, 531 00:28:00,179 --> 00:28:01,973 you know, I don't, I just don't want to continue. 532 00:28:02,974 --> 00:28:04,142 It's hard. 533 00:28:06,644 --> 00:28:09,689 Re-experiencing those traumatic events 534 00:28:10,523 --> 00:28:12,900 is a symptom of post-traumatic stress. 535 00:28:14,026 --> 00:28:16,446 Feeling like you always have to be on edge 536 00:28:16,446 --> 00:28:19,031 {\an8}and looking for potential threats, 537 00:28:19,031 --> 00:28:21,784 {\an8}obviously that's going to impact your sleep as well. 538 00:28:24,537 --> 00:28:27,749 Nights are usually hard for people with PTSD, 539 00:28:28,750 --> 00:28:31,419 but we're hoping the deep Arctic night 540 00:28:32,879 --> 00:28:34,881 might eventually offer us some healing. 541 00:28:38,634 --> 00:28:39,969 Look, look, look. 542 00:28:39,969 --> 00:28:42,597 Oh, wow. 543 00:28:42,597 --> 00:28:45,183 Ooh! Oh, that's good, yeah. 544 00:28:45,183 --> 00:28:46,642 That's a flare. 545 00:28:47,059 --> 00:28:48,102 Mm-hmm. 546 00:28:48,102 --> 00:28:50,438 We went out, and this 547 00:28:50,438 --> 00:28:55,234 green, blue, white, stunning light, 548 00:28:55,693 --> 00:28:57,236 the northern lights, came out. 549 00:28:58,905 --> 00:29:00,323 - Now that's-- - Look at that one. 550 00:29:00,323 --> 00:29:02,158 - That one's like... - Now the bands are... 551 00:29:02,158 --> 00:29:03,659 - Yeah. - Oh, yeah. 552 00:29:03,659 --> 00:29:05,870 And now it starts to emerge. 553 00:29:05,870 --> 00:29:08,873 I think the happiest day of this trip has been the northern lights. 554 00:29:10,041 --> 00:29:12,043 - It's pretty sweet. - Yeah. 555 00:29:12,043 --> 00:29:13,586 That's insane. 556 00:29:13,586 --> 00:29:16,964 It felt like, when I was looking at the lights, 557 00:29:18,090 --> 00:29:19,258 that everything just stopped. 558 00:29:21,177 --> 00:29:22,762 Like it was just in a different place. 559 00:29:24,180 --> 00:29:25,389 None of the veterans 560 00:29:25,389 --> 00:29:27,767 had ever seen a northern light before. 561 00:29:28,309 --> 00:29:29,769 This was the first time they had. 562 00:29:30,102 --> 00:29:34,524 And that certainly was a moment of awe. 563 00:29:34,982 --> 00:29:35,983 Uh... 564 00:29:35,983 --> 00:29:38,277 Honestly, truly was. 565 00:29:39,237 --> 00:29:41,072 Now it's really starting to look good 566 00:29:41,072 --> 00:29:42,448 just with the naked eye. 567 00:29:42,448 --> 00:29:43,825 It hit me pretty hard. 568 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:45,785 I teared up, for sure. 569 00:29:47,578 --> 00:29:50,957 Tears is a common bodily response of awe. 570 00:29:50,957 --> 00:29:52,750 {\an8}Released through activation 571 00:29:52,750 --> 00:29:54,710 {\an8}of the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system. 572 00:29:57,129 --> 00:29:59,006 {\an8}The parasympathetic system, 573 00:29:59,507 --> 00:30:02,343 {\an8}when people are experiencing awe 574 00:30:02,343 --> 00:30:05,012 {\an8}it's kind of slowing the body down a little bit. 575 00:30:06,055 --> 00:30:07,306 - Damn good day. - Damn good day. 576 00:30:08,182 --> 00:30:10,935 - Damn good day. - Yeah. 577 00:30:10,935 --> 00:30:12,645 And when the nervous system 578 00:30:13,187 --> 00:30:15,106 slows the body down, 579 00:30:15,940 --> 00:30:17,233 guess what happens? 580 00:30:20,069 --> 00:30:21,070 Good morning. 581 00:30:21,070 --> 00:30:22,488 Hey, camper. 582 00:30:22,488 --> 00:30:24,073 Hi, camper. 583 00:30:24,073 --> 00:30:25,366 We have northern lights to go. 584 00:30:26,826 --> 00:30:28,452 Yo, how did you sleep? 585 00:30:28,452 --> 00:30:30,246 Um, well, this... 586 00:30:30,246 --> 00:30:31,581 This, this says I slept pretty good. 587 00:30:31,581 --> 00:30:32,707 - That's great. - Yeah. 588 00:30:33,332 --> 00:30:34,709 Great sleep, probably, some of the best sleep 589 00:30:34,709 --> 00:30:36,210 I've had since I got out, 590 00:30:36,586 --> 00:30:40,172 or even longer, since probably deployment. 591 00:30:40,172 --> 00:30:41,591 It was so good. 592 00:30:47,722 --> 00:30:49,599 After four days on the ice, 593 00:30:50,057 --> 00:30:52,602 I went back to the nearest town, Pangnirtung, 594 00:30:52,602 --> 00:30:55,479 to meet a late addition to our team. 595 00:30:55,479 --> 00:30:56,564 There he is. 596 00:30:58,316 --> 00:31:00,151 {\an8}Nick has arrived. 597 00:31:00,151 --> 00:31:03,237 {\an8}Nick Henry actually served four tours in Iraq 598 00:31:03,237 --> 00:31:05,823 {\an8}and came home with a severe traumatic brain injury. 599 00:31:06,449 --> 00:31:08,993 He missed the first four days of the trip 600 00:31:08,993 --> 00:31:12,121 because of a debilitating TBI migraine. 601 00:31:14,332 --> 00:31:15,499 Welcome. 602 00:31:16,792 --> 00:31:18,836 Ready for the coldest part of your life? 603 00:31:18,836 --> 00:31:20,671 Yeah, actually I am. 604 00:31:21,047 --> 00:31:22,882 I was one of those people that kept telling myself, like, 605 00:31:23,549 --> 00:31:25,927 there's other people that are worse off than me. 606 00:31:26,552 --> 00:31:28,304 And then eventually it got to the point where I'm like, 607 00:31:28,304 --> 00:31:29,847 , I need help. 608 00:31:31,807 --> 00:31:34,060 Of all the veterans on the trip, 609 00:31:34,518 --> 00:31:38,856 Nick reported the highest level of post-traumatic stress 610 00:31:39,523 --> 00:31:43,027 and low levels of well-being and social connection. 611 00:31:44,195 --> 00:31:46,656 I look forward to this expedition 612 00:31:46,656 --> 00:31:48,950 and being part of this process. 613 00:31:51,953 --> 00:31:53,329 It gives you hope. 614 00:31:54,914 --> 00:31:59,001 Right, like, it's an idea that if you find enough good things, 615 00:31:59,001 --> 00:32:01,337 you can offset the bad that you feel. 616 00:32:02,171 --> 00:32:03,965 Like, it'll, it'll be better. 617 00:32:05,132 --> 00:32:07,760 We've only got two more days left out here. 618 00:32:09,679 --> 00:32:11,973 Can awe do something for Nick 619 00:32:12,348 --> 00:32:14,016 in only 48 hours? 620 00:32:20,356 --> 00:32:22,024 - Hey. - Yeah! 621 00:32:22,024 --> 00:32:23,401 There's a face under there? 622 00:32:23,401 --> 00:32:25,027 {\an8}- Hello. 623 00:32:25,027 --> 00:32:26,362 {\an8}How are you? 624 00:32:26,362 --> 00:32:27,613 {\an8}Welcome to the party. 625 00:32:27,613 --> 00:32:28,990 {\an8}- What's up, man? 626 00:32:28,990 --> 00:32:30,116 Nice to meet you, man. 627 00:32:31,075 --> 00:32:33,995 We were excited that Nick had finally caught up with us. 628 00:32:33,995 --> 00:32:35,162 Alright. 629 00:32:35,162 --> 00:32:36,789 Hey, Nick, so you got prime real estate 630 00:32:36,789 --> 00:32:38,374 - on the end over here. - Cool. 631 00:32:38,374 --> 00:32:39,667 Here we are. 632 00:32:39,667 --> 00:32:40,835 We've been waiting for him to make 633 00:32:40,835 --> 00:32:42,795 that final push to the Arctic and Thor. 634 00:32:42,795 --> 00:32:44,005 - Sweet. - Is that it? 635 00:32:44,005 --> 00:32:45,214 Yeah. 636 00:32:45,214 --> 00:32:46,799 But hours after Nick arrived, 637 00:32:47,925 --> 00:32:49,218 the winds really blew in. 638 00:32:53,347 --> 00:32:54,765 By the way, this is the winds. 639 00:32:55,433 --> 00:32:58,019 {\an8}We have not felt this yet... on this trip. -[Duffy] No. 640 00:32:58,019 --> 00:32:59,729 {\an8}- It's happening. - The wind's coming in. 641 00:33:03,274 --> 00:33:04,859 We secured the tents, 642 00:33:04,859 --> 00:33:07,737 so they would not blow off of us while we were sleeping. 643 00:33:10,781 --> 00:33:15,286 And hoped that things would be calmer in the morning. 644 00:33:22,084 --> 00:33:23,252 Ooh! 645 00:33:24,503 --> 00:33:26,338 Now that is wind, that is wind. 646 00:33:28,215 --> 00:33:29,842 - Ooh! - This is [bleep] crazy. 647 00:33:31,135 --> 00:33:34,305 I don't think I've ever been in the wind like this before. 648 00:33:34,972 --> 00:33:37,433 When it's blowing that bad, the debris... 649 00:33:38,184 --> 00:33:40,102 {\an8}just starts picking up and flying 650 00:33:40,102 --> 00:33:41,937 {\an8}and it kind of hurts to get hit by. 651 00:33:42,521 --> 00:33:44,023 As you guys experienced, 652 00:33:44,023 --> 00:33:46,108 it's, it's super windy outside. 653 00:33:46,108 --> 00:33:47,276 Yeah. 654 00:33:47,276 --> 00:33:49,987 This is the kind of weather and element 655 00:33:49,987 --> 00:33:52,656 {\an8}that actually can be really unsafe 656 00:33:52,656 --> 00:33:54,325 {\an8}that we just need to take really seriously. 657 00:33:54,325 --> 00:33:55,409 {\an8}Okay. 658 00:33:55,409 --> 00:33:56,994 We hunkered down hoping 659 00:33:56,994 --> 00:33:58,954 that tomorrow would be calmer 660 00:33:59,663 --> 00:34:02,374 so that we could try again to reach the Arctic Circle 661 00:34:02,374 --> 00:34:03,667 and see Thor. 662 00:34:04,794 --> 00:34:06,545 We had one more day out here. 663 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,132 It's crazy how the wind just changed everything. 664 00:34:11,175 --> 00:34:13,344 But it is cool to be here, though, 665 00:34:13,344 --> 00:34:16,305 'cause I was really struggling with a lot of emotional stuff. 666 00:34:18,307 --> 00:34:20,226 When I got the call to go on this trip, 667 00:34:20,976 --> 00:34:24,355 I was in a pretty good depressive cycle. 668 00:34:25,606 --> 00:34:28,234 And it's almost every time that it happens, 669 00:34:28,234 --> 00:34:31,070 my thoughts hit the same, it's like the same script. 670 00:34:37,827 --> 00:34:39,411 After four deployments, 671 00:34:39,411 --> 00:34:41,831 some of the things that I was dealing with 672 00:34:41,831 --> 00:34:43,499 just weren't being processed anymore. 673 00:34:44,333 --> 00:34:46,919 I had become professional at putting them in a box. 674 00:34:47,711 --> 00:34:51,090 So they just all stayed in a box until... 675 00:34:51,924 --> 00:34:53,092 until they didn't. 676 00:34:53,759 --> 00:34:56,053 I didn't wanna feel it, 677 00:34:56,053 --> 00:34:57,680 and I didn't wanna deal with it. 678 00:34:57,680 --> 00:34:59,640 So at that point in time, 679 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:01,058 I decided I was gonna end my life. 680 00:35:01,058 --> 00:35:03,936 I took out my Glock and I put it to my head. 681 00:35:03,936 --> 00:35:06,939 I went and talked to my team leader 682 00:35:06,939 --> 00:35:10,484 and I was like, "Hey, I need to go home. Like, now." 683 00:35:20,286 --> 00:35:22,037 The first thing I noticed waking up 684 00:35:22,037 --> 00:35:24,165 was my tent was not shaking anymore. 685 00:35:24,540 --> 00:35:25,958 So I was like... 686 00:35:25,958 --> 00:35:27,960 "It must be calm outside!" 687 00:35:29,128 --> 00:35:30,796 You'd think the day of the wild winds 688 00:35:30,796 --> 00:35:32,548 would dampen our spirits. 689 00:35:33,382 --> 00:35:36,177 But their effect was unexpectedly energizing. 690 00:35:36,177 --> 00:35:38,304 Gotta get the work done. 691 00:35:38,304 --> 00:35:40,097 I shoveled out everybody's tents and stuff 692 00:35:40,097 --> 00:35:42,516 because the sun was coming up. 693 00:35:43,267 --> 00:35:44,393 It was a pretty day. I was... 694 00:35:44,393 --> 00:35:45,603 Come on in. 695 00:35:45,603 --> 00:35:46,770 ...I was ready to move. 696 00:35:46,770 --> 00:35:48,355 What's up, man? 697 00:35:48,355 --> 00:35:49,940 We were all positive 698 00:35:49,940 --> 00:35:52,776 {\an8}because we knew that the conditions were in our favor. 699 00:35:52,776 --> 00:35:56,071 So, the Arctic Circle is right here, 700 00:35:57,072 --> 00:36:00,201 and then the distance from the Arctic Circle to Thor 701 00:36:00,659 --> 00:36:02,369 {\an8}is about five miles. 702 00:36:02,828 --> 00:36:05,164 Basically the Arctic Circle is halfway? 703 00:36:05,164 --> 00:36:06,248 Yeah, exactly. 704 00:36:07,458 --> 00:36:08,918 Alright, let's move. 705 00:36:11,253 --> 00:36:12,588 This is the time now. 706 00:36:13,672 --> 00:36:15,466 Let's get across the circle, 707 00:36:15,466 --> 00:36:17,134 maybe we can just continue 708 00:36:17,134 --> 00:36:20,971 to what our ultimate goal was and see Thor Peak. 709 00:36:22,056 --> 00:36:23,515 It's gonna start getting a little bit rocky. 710 00:36:24,266 --> 00:36:25,851 - Ooh, look at that. - Yeah! 711 00:36:25,851 --> 00:36:28,103 I was blessed to get here today. 712 00:36:28,103 --> 00:36:29,188 That [bleep] is crazy. 713 00:36:30,314 --> 00:36:32,775 To be able to feel the awe 714 00:36:32,775 --> 00:36:36,570 of being in the mountains and see the rocks and the snow, 715 00:36:37,238 --> 00:36:38,656 just be detached... 716 00:36:39,949 --> 00:36:42,952 from those everyday stressors. 717 00:36:46,538 --> 00:36:48,165 {\an8}Just a few miles from Thor 718 00:36:48,165 --> 00:36:50,417 {\an8}we reached a marker saying 719 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:52,962 we were at the Arctic Circle. 720 00:36:53,545 --> 00:36:55,256 We made it to the Arctic Circle. 721 00:36:57,883 --> 00:37:00,427 At the Arctic Circle, I was crying a little bit, 722 00:37:01,011 --> 00:37:02,721 it just hit me, I was here. 723 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,976 One of the things about depression 724 00:37:06,976 --> 00:37:09,478 is the idea that you don't deserve good things. 725 00:37:09,478 --> 00:37:11,230 You don't deserve good things to happen. 726 00:37:11,730 --> 00:37:16,777 And to be at that moment, to be like good things do happen 727 00:37:17,194 --> 00:37:19,280 was, like, just so overwhelming. 728 00:37:20,489 --> 00:37:21,907 There's work showing 729 00:37:21,907 --> 00:37:23,909 {\an8}that certain forms of awe 730 00:37:23,909 --> 00:37:27,079 {\an8}are involved in activation in reward circuitry, 731 00:37:27,079 --> 00:37:29,164 {\an8}people come out of awe experiences 732 00:37:29,164 --> 00:37:30,791 {\an8}not only wanting to be better, 733 00:37:30,791 --> 00:37:33,585 but having the sense that they can change. 734 00:37:33,585 --> 00:37:35,170 Alright! Okay. 735 00:37:36,171 --> 00:37:38,173 We have a few more miles left till Thor. 736 00:37:38,173 --> 00:37:40,175 - Sounds good. - Finally. 737 00:37:40,175 --> 00:37:41,510 Let's go see this mountain 738 00:37:41,510 --> 00:37:42,970 that everyone keeps talking about. 739 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:04,575 We've reached the Arctic Circle 740 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:07,536 but there is one more thing we wanna do. 741 00:38:08,495 --> 00:38:09,955 If we push a little further, 742 00:38:09,955 --> 00:38:12,583 we can catch sight of Thor Peak, 743 00:38:13,042 --> 00:38:16,253 the highest vertical cliff in the world. 744 00:38:17,254 --> 00:38:19,715 We're hoping for a final dose of awe. 745 00:38:21,216 --> 00:38:24,053 But getting there means navigating steep slopes 746 00:38:24,053 --> 00:38:26,972 carved by millennia of glacial movements, 747 00:38:27,473 --> 00:38:30,601 which also left behind fields of giant boulders. 748 00:38:30,601 --> 00:38:32,102 What do you think? 749 00:38:32,102 --> 00:38:33,937 The only thing is the-the steepness over there. 750 00:38:35,814 --> 00:38:38,817 I mean, it's-it's rocky waterfall terrain. 751 00:38:39,902 --> 00:38:44,907 The, the water had frozen in steps in some places, 752 00:38:45,491 --> 00:38:47,326 but the ice was just... 753 00:38:47,951 --> 00:38:49,203 {\an8}Some of that stuff was so slick. 754 00:38:49,203 --> 00:38:51,080 {\an8}It was... it was hard. 755 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:52,706 {\an8} I don't know how I'm gonna do this yet. 756 00:38:52,706 --> 00:38:54,750 - You got it, I got you. - Ohh. 757 00:38:54,750 --> 00:38:57,086 Nick stayed back 758 00:38:57,086 --> 00:39:00,631 {\an8}to keep a hand on my pack 759 00:39:00,631 --> 00:39:04,343 {\an8}so that I could move forward. 760 00:39:05,010 --> 00:39:08,347 And, if she needed a lift he would lift her up. 761 00:39:08,347 --> 00:39:09,932 I got you. 762 00:39:09,932 --> 00:39:12,184 {\an8}It was really amazing to see that. 763 00:39:14,269 --> 00:39:15,354 - There we go. - Ohh... 764 00:39:15,354 --> 00:39:17,398 Yeah! How you doing? 765 00:39:17,398 --> 00:39:19,066 - Let's go! - Yeah? 766 00:39:19,066 --> 00:39:20,692 Let's go, bro. 767 00:39:25,697 --> 00:39:27,199 - Here comes the wind. - Alright. 768 00:39:28,700 --> 00:39:30,577 The beauty that encompasses 769 00:39:30,577 --> 00:39:32,162 this place is amazing. 770 00:39:32,162 --> 00:39:33,831 Almost there. 771 00:39:33,831 --> 00:39:37,251 After this nasty terrain of ice and rocks... 772 00:39:39,086 --> 00:39:40,587 you turn a corner, 773 00:39:41,380 --> 00:39:43,215 and, uh, then you see Thor. 774 00:39:45,008 --> 00:39:46,802 - You made it. - Hell, yeah. 775 00:39:46,802 --> 00:39:47,970 We walked up and... 776 00:39:48,846 --> 00:39:50,764 and all had our own moments of, 777 00:39:50,764 --> 00:39:53,475 {\an8}of, uh, of success 778 00:39:54,309 --> 00:39:55,686 in achieving our goal. 779 00:39:55,686 --> 00:39:57,438 Look at this, you guys. 780 00:39:57,438 --> 00:39:58,605 It's pretty awesome, huh? 781 00:39:58,605 --> 00:39:59,940 That's a little awe. 782 00:39:59,940 --> 00:40:01,108 Yeah, right? 783 00:40:01,859 --> 00:40:03,318 The world's an awesome place 784 00:40:03,318 --> 00:40:05,154 when you're not fighting against other human beings, isn't it? 785 00:40:05,154 --> 00:40:07,197 - Right? - So true. 786 00:40:07,197 --> 00:40:08,449 So amazing. 787 00:40:08,449 --> 00:40:09,575 Glad you saw it, dude. 788 00:40:09,575 --> 00:40:10,909 Glad you're here. Glad you're here. 789 00:40:10,909 --> 00:40:12,035 Yeah, I am glad I made it. 790 00:40:12,035 --> 00:40:13,162 - Yeah. - Yeah. 791 00:40:13,162 --> 00:40:14,663 - It's gorgeous. 792 00:40:16,039 --> 00:40:17,166 Just unreal. 793 00:40:18,834 --> 00:40:19,835 What a journey. 794 00:40:19,835 --> 00:40:20,961 Yeah, man. 795 00:40:21,670 --> 00:40:22,713 Whoo! 796 00:40:23,505 --> 00:40:25,048 Group hug, you guys, group hug. 797 00:40:31,388 --> 00:40:33,307 And here's the most amazing thing. 798 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:38,020 It turns out that all the changes we felt on that mountain, 799 00:40:39,688 --> 00:40:41,273 we brought them home with us. 800 00:40:49,281 --> 00:40:52,075 We would continue to monitor our heart rate and sleep 801 00:40:52,075 --> 00:40:54,119 for two weeks after we left the Arctic... 802 00:40:56,371 --> 00:40:59,333 and each took one more cortisol test at home. 803 00:41:04,838 --> 00:41:07,716 Turns out even Craig was surprised by the results. 804 00:41:09,343 --> 00:41:12,763 {\an8}I was really... a little blown away 805 00:41:12,763 --> 00:41:15,140 {\an8}by what we found in the size of the effects. 806 00:41:15,140 --> 00:41:17,309 {\an8}Every single one of our participants 807 00:41:17,309 --> 00:41:20,479 showed an improvement in their cortisol pattern. 808 00:41:21,939 --> 00:41:25,192 Every one of us was sleeping more deeply 809 00:41:25,776 --> 00:41:28,070 and up to 25% longer. 810 00:41:29,196 --> 00:41:32,241 The scientists told me that all of us, 811 00:41:32,241 --> 00:41:33,659 not just veterans, 812 00:41:34,451 --> 00:41:38,705 should try to get a dose of awe every two weeks or so. 813 00:41:39,581 --> 00:41:41,708 And you don't have to go to the Arctic. 814 00:41:43,752 --> 00:41:45,754 Studies show we experience awe 815 00:41:45,754 --> 00:41:49,758 when we slow down to pay attention to nature... 816 00:41:52,844 --> 00:41:54,638 ...laugh with the people we love... 817 00:41:57,641 --> 00:41:59,434 spend time with our children. 818 00:42:01,103 --> 00:42:03,689 Awe comes from noticing all the ways 819 00:42:03,689 --> 00:42:09,361 we are part of a vast, mysterious, beautiful universe. 820 00:42:14,199 --> 00:42:15,617 I think it worked. 821 00:42:15,617 --> 00:42:17,202 The view is amazing, 822 00:42:17,995 --> 00:42:19,121 people are awesome. 823 00:42:20,122 --> 00:42:23,083 I hope that it lasts. 824 00:42:23,750 --> 00:42:26,670 What is is and you can't go back and change it. 825 00:42:27,546 --> 00:42:29,923 It's about seeing things that are bigger than you. 826 00:42:31,300 --> 00:42:33,093 I am really grateful for everything. 827 00:42:33,635 --> 00:42:35,095 Here comes the wind. 828 00:42:35,095 --> 00:42:36,179 I got you. 829 00:42:37,764 --> 00:42:38,849 You got it. 830 00:42:38,849 --> 00:42:40,309 To push all the way through 831 00:42:40,309 --> 00:42:42,728 all the negative feelings and all the depression. 832 00:42:45,272 --> 00:42:46,940 Like I just feel it all just oozing out, 833 00:42:46,940 --> 00:42:48,567 and it was like, "Oh, this is so beautiful." 834 00:42:48,567 --> 00:42:49,735 Look, look, look. 835 00:42:49,735 --> 00:42:52,362 - Oh, wow. - Oh! 836 00:42:52,362 --> 00:42:55,365 Somewhere over these last weeks, 837 00:42:55,365 --> 00:42:56,617 I let go of stress. 838 00:42:58,452 --> 00:43:01,663 So, the science doesn't lie. Numbers don't lie. 839 00:43:02,456 --> 00:43:04,750 And the numbers prove that I was, uh, 840 00:43:05,626 --> 00:43:07,669 physically better because of this experience. 841 00:43:13,967 --> 00:43:15,761 Mount Thor is just humongous. 842 00:43:18,388 --> 00:43:21,350 Just looking at it and just taking it and realizing... 843 00:43:23,143 --> 00:43:24,436 you're tiny. 844 00:43:26,938 --> 00:43:28,899 Those big problems that you have... 845 00:43:31,234 --> 00:43:32,778 are tiny compared to that mountain... 846 00:43:34,112 --> 00:43:35,614 and it just goes away. 847 00:43:35,614 --> 00:43:38,784 {\an8} Exactly what we've all been hoping for. 848 00:43:38,784 --> 00:43:40,452 {\an8}- Okay. - Scoot in, scoot in. 849 00:43:40,452 --> 00:43:42,037 {\an8}- Yeah, man. 850 00:43:42,037 --> 00:43:43,121 {\an8}That's it. 851 00:43:43,121 --> 00:43:45,082 {\an8}Yeah, there you go. Nice! 852 00:43:45,082 --> 00:43:46,375 {\an8} This could be the greatest picture ever. 853 00:43:50,253 --> 00:43:52,881 {\an8}That's just... awesome.